Chinese, What'S Wrong With Them?

[JurgenG]

On a regular basis I see here very bad comments about Thai of Chinese origin. I really don't understand.

They are (or their ancestor were) just like us, foreigners trying their luck in Thailand. They make great effort to assimilate and contribute greatly to the economy of their host country. They have a very good work ethic,. They have a very positive attitude toward education, it's really amazing to see how a poor noodle shop owner saves every penny to send his kids to university.

So what is the problem ?

[tfc]

No problem with me either.

[DP25]

Good work ethic and positive attitude? No wonder some posters hate them

[anothertorres]

and what's up with blonde women? dumb or what, guys???

[JurgenG]

I think I owe people an apologize, I probably overreacted based on a few isolated comments.

It's funny how people in opposite sides of the world can have similar stories. My mother's family has been living in the same place for generation, my great grand father name is engraved in the bell of the village church. My father family immigrated from Eastern Europe just after WWII.

My gf'smother family has been living in the same village as far as they can remember. On the other hand, her great grand father on her father side was a Chinese trader. His son, my gf grand father, settled down in Chantaburi and married a local girl. They had a successful business and were able to send their son to Bangkok where he studied engineering. As a young engineer my gf dad had to travel all over Thailand and one day fell in love with the waitress of the restaurant he had stopped for lunch. A couple of year later my gf was born ...

Weird, it's almost my family story ...

I am an immigrant myself, son of immigrants, that's why when I hear discriminatory comments about foreigners I sometime overeact

Sorry about it

[samran]

nah, I think you are onto something here.

A fair few comments about the Thai chinese here....mostly in a disparaging sense.

Most usually these comments come up when talking about politics and economics- the middle class urban 'elites' as some like to say etc etc holding down the average 'real' Thai person etc etc.

note to others: My grandfather was born in Shanghai and migrated to Thailand.

[richard_smith237]

Is it something to do with the fact that the higher socioeconomic demographic in Thailand consists primarily of Thai-Chinese (or at least is perceived that way to many on this forum).

This demographic is apparently more difficult to assimilate into and for many it seems it is more difficult to be accepted in Thailand by this demographic than any other.

Added to which some may believe that this higher socioeconomic group keep to themselves, do business only with themselves and maintain their wealth within their own demographic.

Given the above reasons many on this forum have voiced their dislike or distaste. Particularly as it appears that in order to maintain this position higher up in the 'food chain' decision making and policy making power is maintained within this group and as such they are observed to appear purely self serving.

Or without getting too political: In simpler terms its the 'Have Nots' disliking the 'Haves' because based on their experience in Thailand they believe that given equal opportunities throughout the socioeconomic demographic a Developing Nation can still be run fairly with equal opportunities for all.

In this equal opportunities world their 'teerak's' would have been better off than they are and at least as financially independent as the ladies in the Thai-Chinese demographic that some men on this forum have married / are dating etc...

There is perhaps a little jealousy (and also disbelief) in this forum against those who have met a lady who has no financial reason to remain in a relationship and as such has clearly not made the 'career move' by dating a foreigner. Perhaps this bone of contention alone has led to some of the negative comments towards the Thai-Chinese on this forum.

[IanForbes]

Good work ethic and positive attitude? No wonder some posters hate them

Bingo! You nailed it.

[Loz]

I've only ever heard that the thai-chinese are revered. Why do you think everyone wants whiter skin?

My view could be skewed by living in NE Thailand, I admit.

[angiud]

Thai-Chinese are on average more developed, rich, attitude to business, family compact, higher school degrees, etc etc than the average Thai.

So maybe somebody don't like them? Personally I like Chinese people.

Said that, cannot generalize

[tim armstrong]

Good work ethic and positive attitude? No wonder some posters hate them

Bingo! You nailed it.

For sure, jealousy rules. Time and time again I find if I do business with Thai Chinese they are honest, efficient and helpful. They frequently are not the cheapest, but once they know you, they will be genuinely helpful. I bought a lawnmower a few years back, and my family have variously tried to cut scrub with it, put oil in the petrol, broken starter ropes etc. But the bloody thing still refuses to die. Recently I took it into the thai-chinese ag. business again, for repairs. They laughed and said if this is going to cost more than 500 baht we're not going to fix it, as its cost you too much already! Now that's good business. The mower now sadly, has died.

[doggie888888]

I have a Thai Chinese lady friend who agreed to go on a blind date with a foreigner; it was set up by one of her old school friends. The foreigner started the evening speaking pidgin English. The girl said politely and with a smile as most Thais would: "don't talk like that becasue I can understand English quite well" having spent secondary and university years in England and now works in an American bank. As long as I have known her, she speaks, thinks and acts like a westerner and yet that blind date bloke decided she was a bar girl and ought to be spoken to like one. Apparently she said: "most of my foreign friends don't talk like you" and the bloke lost it and told her she was rude! She told me later, as we were having a laugh about it, that while she can understand why he would think ALL Thais were uneducated village girls destined to be mail-order brides, she was nevertheless peeved that he would take offence at her expressing an opinion.

For some farangs in Thailand, as long as you look Asian but refuse to behave in a subservient manner, and you are well educated, have your own opinion and do express it eloquently, then there is something wrong with you!

[craigt3365]

For sure it's a jealousy thing. The whiter skinned, Thai-Chinese pretty much own and run this country. And don't really treat workers well, on average. But they are hard working people. They don't just sit around and do nothing...they really work. Hard.

Like mentioned before, it's the "have nots" being jealous of the "haves".

[ableguy]

I agree with everything you say about the Chinese, they seem to have all the good qualities that your average Thai seems to lack, so could be jealousy, I have heard my Thai family comment that Chinese are tight fisted when I point out they are probably saving for the future and to enhance the family they give me their dumb farang look. food for thought?

[mark45y]

Thais have a long history of discrimination against the Chinese. Starting from the Haw wars (1875) when Chinese bandits raided Thailand . Later the Chinese population in Thailand took over the opium trade which was a despised occupation among Thais. From 1930 to 1950 the government took over Chinese businesses in rice, tobacco and oil and subjected them to special taxes.

One of the reasons Thailand fought on the Japanese side during WW II was the then Prime Ministers dislike of the Chinese (although he was part Chinese himself).

[Thaddeus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzC5HT1Qhmo

[Moonrakers]

All but one of the Chinese people I have met have been rude, greedy and self-centred. And I've met a few.

Yes, I am generalising based only on my experiences but sometimes patterns emerge that become difficult to ignore. I don't mean to insult any of the (good) Chinese folk out there, just making an observation.

[Semper]

All but one of the Chinese people I have met have been rude, greedy and self-centred. And I've met a few.

Yes, I am generalising based only on my experiences but sometimes patterns emerge that become difficult to ignore. I don't mean to insult any of the (good) Chinese folk out there, just making an observation.

[Semper]

and what's up with blonde women? dumb or what, guys???

Yes.

[Mosha]

A few years ago someone posted that a member of a venerated family in Thailand considered the Chinese as the Gypsies of Asia.

[mca]

A few years ago someone posted that a member of a venerated family in Thailand considered the Chinese as the Gypsies of Asia.

I fully agree. I had Hu Jintao come round my place a couple of weeks ago in a knackered Ford Transit offering to tarmac my drive. I bet his van didn't have any tax or insurance neither.

[isanbirder]

A few years ago someone posted that a member of a venerated family in Thailand considered the Chinese as the Gypsies of Asia.

No, they're the Jews of Asia... and like Jews everywhere, resented because they work hard and are generally successful. Nothing offends like success.

[mca]

I heard once that the Chinese were the Quakers of Belgium. Refuted by somebody who reckoned that they were the Mennonoites of Bolivia. I dunno. Just what I heard.

[Heng]

Apart from those tyrants running PTT who have pretty much phased out 95 gasoline and now are slow sneaking 91 off the market so that we have to "choose" gasohol at some point in the future ....I have no problem with them whatsoever.

[stickyrice]

All but one of the Chinese people I have met have been rude, greedy and self-centred. And I've met a few.

Yes, I am generalising based only on my experiences but sometimes patterns emerge that become difficult to ignore. I don't mean to insult any of the (good) Chinese folk out there, just making an observation.

I myself am an Chinese American. I live and work in San Francisco Chinatown (what some say is the largest collection of Chinese outside of China - but I think that is no longer true); but I travel to Bangkok about 3-4 times a year and often to other parts of Asia.

In America, the Chinese are considered a model minority. We have overall do better in school and have a higher income than even "White" Americans. We tend to have conservative values and strong family ties. As far as I can tell, we behave just like other Americans (although I am sure people might consider American behavior to be "rude")

The Chinese Americans and the Thai Chinese consider the Chinese from the mainland of China to be extremely rude. I am sure that the behaviors that we find very upsetting in not considered rude behavior in China, I think some of it stems from overcrowded cities. The things that bother me personally are things like:

Spitting in public

Not waiting in line

Pushing and disregard for personal space

The Thai Chinese, I can find everywhere. They have very much assimilated into the local culture. Many that I have meet have more Thai than Chinese blood and can no longer speak their parents/grandparents Chinese dialect (which usually would be Fukien). To me, they are just like other Thai people except that they like most Chinese tend to be frugal. My mom thinks there must be something wrong with me because, I on the other hand love to shop hehe.

[JurgenG]

I heard once that the Chinese were the Quakers of Belgium. Refuted by somebody who reckoned that they were the Mennonoites of Bolivia. I dunno. Just what I heard.

Yeah ... Bolivia ...

I heard it too ,,,

[mca]

Vindicated!

[JurgenG]

The Chinese Americans and the Thai Chinese consider the Chinese from the mainland of China to be extremely rude. I am sure that the behaviors that we find very upsetting in not considered rude behavior in China, I think some of it stems from overcrowded cities. The things that bother me personally are things like:

Spitting in public

Not waiting in line

Pushing and disregard for personal space

Mainland Chinese are not rude, they are uneducated.

The difference is, uneducated you don't know the rules. Rude, you know the rules but chose to ignore them. French and American jump to mind ....

[powderpuff]

Jeez. I hope you're not from that place that coined the phrase "Deutchland Uber Alles"

You were doing good till the gratuitous slap of me & my country.

I might have some comment on Chinese. After.

[afarang]

Apart from those tyrants running PTT who have pretty much phased out 95 gasoline and now are slow sneaking 91 off the market so that we have to "choose" gasohol at some point in the future ....I have no problem with them whatsoever.

Actually ,there is a valid reason for that. Thailand imports pretty near all its oil.So, they are or have legislated to ensure all petrol will be at least 5%gasohol.They may even raise it to 10%. The reason is , to save foreign exchange. The Thai is so strong, that their fuel bill paid in U.S. dollars is going even higher,causing stresses to the Thai economy.I must add ,that many Thai farmers are very happy, as the Main feedstock to produce Gasohol is Cassava, which has increased in price substantially this year.